911 Diversion Specialist

About This Role

This role provides immediate mental health support and crisis intervention to individuals in distress who contact Onondaga County 911. The specialist will assess needs, develop intervention plans, and coordinate care with emergency responders to ensure appropriate support for those experiencing mental health or substance use crises.

Responsibilities

• Respond to 911 calls involving mental health and substance use crises, providing telephonic support with compassion and in accordance with training
• Conduct initial assessments to determine mental health and substance use needs of individuals in crisis
• Develop and implement crisis intervention plans tailored to individual needs, including de-escalation, referrals to community resources, or connection to safety net programs
• Refer calls needing a high level of care to appropriate emergency responders and collaborate with E-911 staff for coordinated care
• Offer follow-up support and referrals to appropriate mental health and substance use services
• Receive and prioritize requests for human service dispatch from 911 crisis counselors, law enforcement, and other emergency services personnel
• Dispatch appropriate human service response in a timely and efficient manner, ensuring coordination with the person in crisis, community response team, law enforcement, and EMS
• Monitor the status of ongoing responses, relay information between responders, and provide updates to E-911 and partners
• Maintain accurate and timely documentation of all interactions and interventions in E-911 CAD system and Contacts iCarol system
• Act as call center Crisis Specialist responding to 988, 211, and community crisis lines, as scheduled

Requirements

• Associate degree in a mental health, social work, psychology, counseling, or related human services field
• 1+ years of experience in a mental/behavioral health setting (crisis intervention, suicide prevention, or crisis call center)
• Strong empathy, active listening, communication, teamwork, and interpersonal skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Strong problem-solving abilities and critical thinking skills
• Ability to work under pressure and handle high call volumes while maintaining a calm demeanor
• Proficiency in using computer systems and databases for documentation and resource navigation
• Ability to function autonomously and exercise good judgment and decision-making skills
• Ability to efficiently manage multiple tasks simultaneously
• Ability to consistently show up on time and work full scheduled shifts, including some holidays and weekends
• Access to reliable daily transportation

Qualifications

• Associate degree in a mental health, social work, psychology, counseling, or related human services field is required. Bachelor's degree strongly preferred.
• At least 1 year of experience in a mental/behavioral health setting, ideally involving crisis intervention, suicide prevention, or work in a crisis call center. Experience in de-escalation, risk assessment, and coordinating care or referrals for individuals in crisis is highly valued.

Nice to Have

• Bachelor's degree in a mental health, social work, psychology, counseling, or related human services field
• Experience in de-escalation, risk assessment, and coordinating care or referrals for individuals in crisis